The Pele Sports 1962 is the first takedown to the higher-end 1970. The 1962 first comes across as a very “old-school” soccer shoe, but when you put them on your feet, the feeling is probably not what you would expect. What you get is a shoe that offers a modern soleplate, including a 5mm rise in the heel, and a classic, high quality, calfskin leather upper. The shoe itself fits fairly wide all the way through, but is still well suited for even narrow footed players. The reason for this is due to the actual leather, which is a little stiffer from right out of the box than you might expect, meaning that there is somewhat of a break-in period.

Breaking-in the 1962 is fairly easy, and at no point will you experience any real discomfort, but it just takes some time for the shoe to really soften and start to feel like it is a part of you, like any quality leather shoe should. The unique stitching pattern does a very good job of keeping the leather from over-stretching, making sure that the fit remains as snug as possible, even after break-in. The lacing system is slightly to the outside and is very shallow, still allowing you to tighten up the shoe in the mid foot, but leaving the toe box area with a little more wiggle room. The overall fit of this shoe is very comfortable and very solid. The heel is cut on the higher side, so your heel is very securely locked in and there is plenty of ankle support. As far as sizing goes, the 1962 seems to fit a little long, so I would recommend going down half a size for the best fit. Where I would normally wear a size 9US, I needed a size 8.5US for a perfect fit in the 1962. The 1962 offers a very traditional fit, with a slightly modern feel.

Weight

The Pele 1962 weighs in at a slightly above average 11.6oz, which is not a huge surprise to me. While this may seem like an obscene amount of weight by today’s standard of soccer shoes, if you compare it to a more classic shoe like the Copa Mundial, it is exactly on par. Another thing to take into consideration is that the 1962 is pretty much 100% leather, and a fairly rugged and padded one at that. There are not many shoes that are full leather past the forefoot, let alone the entire shoe. While this shoe clearly not a shoe that many will be on the look out for, you have to appreciate the use of quality materials over weight, just like how soccer shoes used to be.

Traction

The 1962 uses a more modern styled stud pattern than its upper may suggest. What you get is a bladed stud pattern, where the blades are shaped like the letter “L”, making for a stud pattern that feels like a combination of conical and bladed studs. The reason for this is because the “L” shape doesn’t allow the stud to dig as deep into the ground, so you get some of the grip that you would get from the blades, but because they don’t dig as deep, you get that little bit of extra mobility that your standard bladed stud pattern would not normally provide. It is also worth noting that there is a 5mm rise in the heel, which is supposed to reduce the risk of injury. The lift is somewhat noticeable, but is something that you can easily get used to and will forget about after only about 20 minutes of use. This is a stud pattern that will perform well on nearly any type of surface and is even turf friendly. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary, but it gets the job done.

Touch

The touch on the 1962 is not far off from what I expected it to be, simple. The upper is a slightly more bulky leather than most other “modernized classics” on the market. Especially from brand new, the leather will feel a little on the stiffer side, but once the shoes begin to wear in, the touch only improves. It is certainly worth noting that the entire upper is coated with a shiny finish, which makes the shoe very sticky to the touch from brand new. While this may feel a little weird at first, the coating will wear away fairly quickly, not wear it disappears, but to where it becomes much less sticky. Think of the coating as more of a protective coating for the leather, rather than a grip element. Another key feature that you can’t really miss is the large flap tongue, which bears the company logo. It is one of those elements that is quickly disappearing from modern soccer shoes, and is an element that many prefer to be gone. Normally it doesn’t really bother me to have the flap over tongue, but I did find the tongue on the 1962 to be a little on the bulky side, and while I don’t think that it will at all hinder the quality of your touch, it is still noticeable. The overall feel is definitely on the padded side, which many love, including myself, but plenty of others do not. If you are looking for a truly classic feel, you will like the feel of the 1962.

Shooting

The 1962 is pretty barebones when it comes to shooting. There are no striking elements of any kind, leaving you with a big patch of leather in between your foot and the ball. The laces are pushed to the outside, so the instep and top of the foot are left clean, with nothing in the way. It is also arguable that the coating on the leather does provide some extra grip, but these effects are very minimal. The solid fit in the heel makes for a very solid feel when striking the ball and the soleplate provides plenty of stiffness. Shooting feels exactly how it should in a leather shoe.

Durability

The quality of materials is fantastic. Every single element of this shoe uses premium materials, and it all comes together to make a very solid soccer shoe. This again goes back to that “old school” direction of soccer shoes, where the shoes were built to last. I am 100% confident that the 1962 will last an entire season, with little to no issues. Keep in mind that this is a natural leather shoe, so some maintenance is required to keep these shoes in good shape.

Protection

There are more and more foot injuries with the modern soccer shoes in comparison to the amount there were 20 years back. The 1962 is a perfect example of how protective a simple soccer shoe can be. The leather is solid and provides plenty of protection against impact, should you get stepped on. The internal, plastic heel counter comes higher up the back of the heel, providing even more solid protection. To sum things up, the 1962 feels very safe and will definitely provide you with plenty of protection.

The Verdict

The Pele Sports 1962 is a very similar shoe to the 1970, with the only difference being the calfskin upper, as opposed to kangaroo leather. The quality of calfskin that is used is extremely high and the overall difference in feel if compared to the 1970 is very minimal. If you are one of those people who really loves high quality leather shoes and want nothing but the best from your Pele shoe, go for the 1970. If you are looking to save just a little bit, the 1962 will offer an almost identical feel, and is sure to please.

Author: Joshua Vujovic
My goal is to provide the most detailed, in-depth reviews on all the latest soccer gear. Its very easy to get caught up in all of the hype around the latest soccer equipment, but we're here to point you in the right direction. As a product tester, I always give my honest, unbiased opinion on everything that gets tested, ensuring that you're always getting the most accurate information possible